One similarity that is found between Jason and the Argonauts and The Epic of Gilgamesh is the various landscapes the heroes cross in their journey or quest. One common landscape between the epics is a sacred wooded area. In Book 4 of Jason and the Argonauts the exact name and description given to the area is the, “sacred grove and found the huge oak tree from which the fleece was hanging, brilliant as a cloud that glows red in the rays of fiery dawn” (4.154-157). Likewise in The Epic of Gilgamesh the sacred wooden area is called the forest, which Humbaba resides and is described as, “They gazed at the height of the cedars…They saw the cedar mountain, dwelling of the gods, sacred to the goddess Irnina… The undergrowth is tangled, the thicket …show more content…
interwoven” (V.2-10). Both of these sacred areas contain beautiful scenery that highlights the divine element that is associated with the area. Another shared landscape between the two epics is the sea, which is used for travel in both epics. Throughout the epic of Jason and the Argonauts, Jason and the Minyans use the sea to travel on as they make their journey for the golden fleece from Iolcus to various locations until finally they return home. In the Epic of Gilgamesh, Gilgamesh travels across the sea to see Utanapishtim in order to complete his journey of finding a way to achieve eternal life. One interesting difference that can be found between Jason and the Argonauts and Tarzan of the Apes is the way that Jason and Tarzan handle being in a strange new world.
For Jason, one of the main characters of the epic Jason and the Argonauts, his strange new world is the land of Colchis. Upon reaching Colchis and meeting King Aeëtes, Jason responds to this foreign land by staying himself. Staying himself means that Jason attempts to do everything his way that he is familiar with back home in Greece. Jason does this by cutting off King Aeëtes in the middle of his rampage, in order to try to soothe and convince him to give up the golden fleece with diplomatic words of, “subdue beneath your (King Aeëtes) scepter the Sauromatae or some other tribe” (3520-521). This diplomatic attempt backfires as Aeëtes plots to kill Jason from there on out. Unlike Jason, Tarzan adapts to his new strange world of living among the apes. Instead of trying to act like his English parents, Tarzan watches and adapts to the way of the apes. This is evident as, “Tarzan grew he made more rapid strides, so by the time he was ten years old he was an excellent climber, and on the ground could do many wonderful things which were beyond the powers of his little brothers and sisters” (37). By simply adapting Tarzan is able to avoid less strife in his new world of the apes rather then Jason in his world amongst the
Colchians. One difference between The Epic of Gilgamesh and Tarzan of the Apes is the learning curve between the characters of Gilgamesh and Tarzan. Gilgamesh begins the epic by being arrogant and he ends the epic with continual arrogance. Multiple people tell Gilgamesh that eternal life is not possible yet he continues to pursue eternal life, destroy objects, and abuse women. Tarzan on the other hand is quick to develop and accedes the learning curve. He quickly adapts to his new life and is very observant and quick to analyze a situation. The best example of this is when Tarzan, “Quickly and noiselessly he dropped to the ground beside the cauldron of poison. For a moment he stood motionless, his quick, bright eyes scanning the interior of the palisade” (76). This quote shows how quickly Tarzan analyzes and performs in an unfamiliar situation.
When I was little, I used to stay up late at night, watching old movies with my father. He worked at night, so on his nights off, he often could not sleep. Our dad-daughter bond was, no doubt, forged by our love of old black and white and even cheesy films. It was on one of these late nights that I first saw a huge snake coiled next to a tree, draped in a glittery sheep’s fur. I am sure that my eyes were big with awe the whole time, for to this day, when I watch or even read mythological stories, I feel the same childhood awe. The movie Jason and the Argonauts, directed by Nick Willing in 2000, is certainly not as campy as the old black and white, but it is just as awe-inspiring as is Peter Green’s translation of Apollonius of Rhodes’ version of Jason’s story: “Argonautika: The Story of Jason and the
The Epic of Gilgamesh and the book of job are similar because they both share themes characters and setting. These two books differ because the book of job because it has a major theme that discusses where humans stand in the world.
There are three main characteristics that make The Epic of Gilgamesh an epic. The first be...
Ancient world literature and early civilization stories are mostly centered on human’s relationship with higher beings. Ancient civilizations were extremely religious, holding the belief that their very lives were in the hands of their almighty god or goddess. This holds true for both the people of biblical times as well as those of the epic era. However, their stories have some differences according to cultural variation but the main structure, ideas, and themes are generally found correlative. It is hard to believe that one work did not affect the others. The first great heroic epic poem of Gilgamesh and the Old Testament are parts of two cultures that are hundreds of years apart. Whereas Gilgamesh is a myth and the book of Genesis is the basis of many religions, they both have notably similar accounts of symbols, motifs, meaningful events according to the relationship between the divine and humans in literature.
Gilgamesh and Odysseus are two heroes from two different time periods that were both in search of the meaning of life. The epics that the two characters are featured in Gilgamesh, was developed from early Mesopotamia and the Odyssey in early Greece. Gilgamesh was a very popular and it was very valuable to the historian of Mesopotamian culture because it reveals much about the religious world, such as their attitudes toward the gods, how a hero was defined and regarded, views about death and friendship.
The Epic of Gilgamesh is a historic story of the king of Uruk, Gilgamesh. The story depicts the short lived friendship of Gilgamesh and Enkidu. The story begins as Shamat the harlot seduces Enkidu and convinces him to go to the city of Uruk and meet Gilgamesh. From that moment on, the two were very close. They planned a trip to the forest of cedars to defeat the monster known as Humbaba so that Gilgamesh could show his power to the citizens of Uruk. However, Enkidu tried “vainly to dissuade” (18) Gilgamesh in going to the forest. Despite Enkidu’s plead, the two continued on their voyage to the forest where Humbaba lives. Once they arrived, they found the monster and killed him.
Their similar qualities are strange due to the fact that these two epics were written in such different cultures, time periods, and probably mindsets. The Epic of Gilgamesh tried to describe the Sumerian beliefs, as well as the Sumerian 's culture. It appears that they used fighting to find out the best among them in war and to see who was worthy to rule kingdom. For example, we can consider Enkidu and Gilgamesh’s first battle. Everything is viewed as a battle in this culture, and at the end of each journey is the key to more wisdom. Hinduism however is kind of same but in different ways. In Rama 's culture, to obtain wisdom and knowledge, one has to be patient and finish his sacred duty. However, people have to fulfill the sacred duty by not fighting or battling for power, rather through the moral behavior and virtue. “Hinduism is all about being humble and leading your life in a way that will make the after-life even greater. It is about being truthful to their dharma and letting things happen in its way” (Narayan 23). Both Rama and Gilgamesh are epic heroes to their own culture. Different lifestyles will show up with the encounter of different believes. It’s usual to find one god or hero in every culture that it worships for hope and guidance. Thus, their similar characteristics represent this common archetype of a hero that every culture looks
A good number of people know the famous story of the Genesis flood, but do they know how it resembles to the Gilgamesh flood story? It is mind bending how the main stories are so alike. The main theme is the biggest similarity between the two. They also differ greatly in the smaller details in the events that take place. In both stories the number of days for events are different, but the same basic event takes place. Along with many other similarities and differences. The stories are very much the same, but when comparing the details within they are very different.
Analysis of the Character of Gilgamesh In the epic Gilgamesh, there are many complex characters. Every character involved in the story has their own personality and traits. The main character in the novel is Gilgamesh. Gilgamesh is a character who is very self-confident.
The Epic of Gilgamesh has many similarities to the Bible, especially in Genesis and it’s not just that the both begin with the letter “g”’! One major similarity being the flood story that is told in both works. The two stories are very similar but also very different. Another being the use of serpents in both works and how they represent the same thing. A third similarity being the power of God or gods and the influence they have on the people of the stories. Within these similarities there are also differences that need to be pointed out as well.
The Epic of Gilgamesh is a moving tale of the friendship between Gilgamesh, the demigod king of Uruk, and the wild man Enkidu. Accepting ones own mortality is the overarching theme of the epic as Gilgamesh and Enkidu find their highest purpose in the pursuit of eternal life.
... of these epics share quite many similarities. For example, the archetypes used, the types of settings, and the themes are a few of plenty of comparabilities found among The Odyssey and The Epic of Gilgamesh. However, the most important similarity is that both of these epics are timeless; they have been passed down through generations spanning thousands of years, and they will continue to be read for many years to come.
The first stage of Gilgamesh’s heroic journey starts off with the departure from Uruk to find and destroy the ferocious Humbaba, the guardian of the Cedar forest. By doing this, Gilgamesh is trying to “Set up [his] name in the
Many themes are incorporated into the story line of Gilgamesh. These include three very important concepts: death is inevitable, immortality is unachievable, and friendship is a necessity.
Ancient literature has many great tales of heroes journeying to the ends of the earth to find mystic items, slay mythical beasts, or prove themselves to the gods. The two of the greatest heroes are Odysseus from Homer’s epic poem The Odyssey and Gilgamesh from the Sumarian epic sharing the name. While these two characters are in different areas of the world and from different eras, they have more in common than one might believe. They share several common traits, pride, direction from the gods, and the relationship they have with their loved ones, but Pride is they main flaw shared. This is the reason why the act the way they do. The similarities in the characters show how alike these two legendary heroes are.